Flashback - Part I
by PadawanTributeFromGallifrey
Summary: Liam Watson wakes up in a strange place, with no memory of his past, surrounded by strange people who tell him he's the only one who can prevent an impending tragedy. But with the help of those around him, Liam's memories come rushing back to reveal an incredible truth... he's the Flash.
1. Chapter 1

**The Flash Chronicles – Flashback – Part I**

 **Chapter One**

Liam's eyes snapped open. His heart was pounding in his chest. He couldn't remember anything before falling asleep. He felt like he'd been sleeping for a very long time. Liam sat up and found himself in a room he'd never seen before. It faintly reminded him of his room at home yet was different enough to make him uneasy. But what bothered him more was the feeling of forgetting something important.

Liam got up off the bed and slowly walked around the room. Other than a dresser and a closet, it was empty. The window shades were closed. Liam reached for them when the door opened.

"You might want to wait a moment before you do that."

Liam turned to see a middle-aged woman with a worn, but kind face.

"Where am I?" he asked.

The woman smiled at him. Liam had a strange feeling he had met her before.

"Sit and I'll explain." she said.

Despite feeling anxious, Liam realized he had no choice. He plopped back down on the bed.

"The first thing you need to know is you're far away from your home."

A million different things were running through Liam's head and he struggled to focus.

"Second no one knows how you got here, but we're very glad you are. You see, we've been waiting for you."

"What do you mean far away from home? And how could you have been waiting for me if we've never met?"

The woman smiled at him again.

"I'm sorry but I'm not the one to answer your questions. But I can take you to someone who can."

Liam was more confused than ever.

"Can I look out the window now?"

The woman nodded.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw upon opening the shades.

Outside was a sprawling urban landscape but that wasn't what stunned Liam. The buildings were incredibly futuristic and as Liam watched, a taxi went speeding through the air. Liam turned back to the woman.

"Exactly how far away from home am I?"

Someone else entered the room. This time it was a beautiful young girl probably about eighteen or nineteen. Liam couldn't help but notice the resemblance between her and the older woman. That much was obvious but there was something else he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"You're awake." the girl said, smiling warmly.

"Physically yeah. Mentally... not so much." Liam joked.

"Shell shocked?" the girl asked.

Liam nodded.

"That's the understatement of the millennium"

She turned to the older woman.

"Is he ready to see the Doc?"

The older woman nodded.

"I'm fine, I don't need to see a doctor." Liam protested.

"He's not that kind of doctor. He's a professor. He'll be able to answer all your questions. He just prefers to be called Doc."

"He's waiting in the living room, mom.." the young girl said.

The women led Liam to a spacious room full of squashy chairs and a couch. It looked similar to his own living room at home but was decorated in a futuristic style. Seated on one of the chairs was a middle-aged man with glasses. He had an air of intelligence about him.

"Here he is Doc." the older woman said happily.

The man stood and shook Liam's hand vigorously.

"You made it! Excellent. I have to admit I had my doubts, but you proved me wrong. And this is definitely one time I'm happy to be wrong."

"Uh, thanks." Liam said.

"Professor James Zahn at your service, Liam. I must admit I was ecstatic when Helen and Daisy here called and said you'd arrived. You see... we were expecting you."

Liam sat down on the couch across from Professor Zahn.

"Can someone please explain how I could've been expected when I've never met any of you? And why am I in some weird futuristic city?"

Liam hadn't meant to explode but he was exasperated and wanted answers.

Professor Zahn took a deep breath.

"I understand your frustration and confusion. For starters, you're in your hometown only in a different time. You see, Liam... you've traveled through time. This is the year 2061."

Liam sat in a stunned silence. He had so many questions and didn't even know where to begin. The older woman sensed this and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. There was something familiar about her touch.

"How exactly did I get from 2015 to 2061?"

Professor Zahn smiled.

"You ran."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"I... what?"

The professor went into his briefcase and produced what looked like a tablet only it was far more sophisticated than anything Liam had seen. On the screen was an image of someone wearing a dark red suit. On the chest was a yellow lightning bolt and the man's face was covered by a hood.

"Do you know who this is Liam?"

Liam shook his head.

Professor Zahn frowned.

"What about this one?"

The next image was almost identical to the first except the man's suit was the exact opposite. It was yellow with a red lightning bold on the chest.

Liam shook his head again.

"Should I know who they are?"

The professor took a deep breath.

"There's no easy way to tell you this, Liam. The first one is the Flash. The second is his arch-nemesis, the Reverse Flash. You're the Flash, Liam. That's how you got here. You ran so fast you traveled through time. And it was no accident. You see... you're the only one who can stop what's about to happen."

Liam stood up. He couldn't bear to listen anymore. What Professor Zahn had just told him, on top of everything else, was just too much. Without a word, he went back to the bedroom and closed the door.

"I was afraid he would react that way." Professor Zahn said sadly.

"I'll try talking to him." Daisy offered.

Helen shook her head.

"No Daisy. He has to process it on his own. He's always had an independent streak. If you push him, he'll shut himself off."

"We can't afford that. There isn't much time left." Professor Zahn said.

"He really is our only hope isn't he?" Daisy asked.

"Yes... he is." the professor replied.

Liam woke with a start.

 _Maybe it was all a dream._ He thought hopefully.

But when he looked around the room he knew it wasn't. He was indeed in the year 2061 after supposedly traveling through time using his superpowers. He couldn't remember what he did in 2015 but he was fairly certain it didn't involve being the Flash. Every fiber of his being told him it was impossible yet he couldn't shake the look of concern on everyone's face when the professor said only Liam could stop what was about to happen.

Then there was the resemblance between himself and Helen, and to a lesser extent, Daisy. And the way Helen's touch had comforted him. Liam's thoughts were interrupted by a gentle knock on the door. He got up and opened it to find Daisy standing there.

"If you're hungry, dinner's ready." she said with a sad smile.

For a split second Liam thought he saw a flicker of his fiancee's smile.

 _It's probably just because they're both named Daisy._

He shook it off and followed Daisy to a cozy dining room. Helen smiled when she saw he'd decided to join them. As they ate the three of them engaged in small talk and Liam was grateful they didn't want to talk about what had happened earlier.

"So is it just the two of you here?" he asked.

"My dad left when I was a baby. Joined the army. Only... he never came home." Daisy replied.

Liam's heart sank.

"I'm sorry. If you don't mind my asking... what happened?"

Helen answered this time.

"He was chosen for a special mission. Which was great until it went wrong. He died in an explosion."

She seemed hesitant to say any more so Liam changed the subject.

"I'm sorry about earlier. It's just this is a lot to process."

Helen smiled warmly at him. He definitely picked up on something this time. Liam didn't know how, but he had seen that smile before.

 _Time travel._ He thought but quickly pushed the thought aside.

"It's okay. We would've been surprised if you had taken it all in stride. You've never handled change well." Helen said.

"We know each other, don't we?" Liam said.

His head was jumbled but he had to know why there was such a feeling of familiarity with Helen and Daisy.

"You could say that." Daisy laughed. She left the table and when she returned was holding a framed picture.

Liam couldn't believe his eyes. He saw himself standing on a sunny beach with his arm around his Daisy. In her arms was a little girl who was unmistakably Helen. He looked from the picture to Helen and back again.

In the bottom corner of the picture was a date... July 4, 2017.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Liam sat back in his chair.

"So you're..." he started.

Helen smiled at him.

"Your daughter. I was born in 2016. And Daisy here is your granddaughter."

"Still have a hard time believing I have superpowers. I've always been kinda ordinary."

Helen laughed.

"Always the modest one."

"Mom I think we should take him to the museum." suggested Daisy.

Liam, Helen, and Daisy headed to downtown Central City which Liam noticed had undergone some changes but still maintained its charm. In the heart of downtown was a magnificent-looking building. A sign near the entrance read:

Flash Museum

"They built a museum for the Flash?" he asked disbelievingly.

Daisy nodded.

"For all the amazing things you've done."

The magnificence of the building's exterior was matched only by its interior. In the lobby stood a towering bronze statue of the Flash posed in a running motion.

"The statue was originally outside City Hall but they moved it here." Helen said.

There was an inscription on the statue's base.

Erected April 4, 2025 in honor of The Flash

For his heroic deeds on behalf of Central City

They walked deeper into the museum. There were exhibits filled with pictures, videos, and newspaper clippings. Liam was blown away by the next one even more than the last but what really caught his attention was another sculpture. This one was in full color and depicted the Flash and Reverse Flash locked in battle. The plaque read:

The Flash battles his arch-nemesis, Nikolai Zahn, better known as the Reverse Flash.

"Zahn? As in Professor Zahn?"

Helen appeared at his side.

"I've never noticed that before."

"They must be related." Liam said.

He looked up at the sculpture.

 _Is that really me?_

"When did the Flash first appear?" he asked.

Daisy pointed to a nearby exhibit.

It was a picture of the Flash standing next to the mayor. There was a plaque underneath it.

The Flash shakes hands with Mayor Wallace after receiving a key to the city, having saved Central City from Captain Cold. Picture taken August 11, 2004.

"My eyes must be playing tricks on me." Liam said after a moment.

"That's you, dad." Helen said putting her arm around him.

"Doesn't all of this seem insane? Me? The Flash? Who traveled through time to the year 2061 and just happened to end up with my daughter and granddaughter?"

"Nothing surprises me anymore, not since I found out my dad was the Flash. I'll remember that moment for the rest of my life. You were fighting Reverse Flash. One of your worst, most brutal battles. Right in the middle of downtown. You were exhausted, on the verge of defeat, hunched over. When you looked up I was standing at the front of the crowd who had gathered. You looked at me and winked. The Flash winked at me the way my dad always did. And then I knew."

Helen's eyes filled with tears.

Liam hugged her.

"I just... don't remember. Any of it."

"You will." said Daisy, putting her hand on Liam's shoulder.

Liam wandered back over to the sculpture of the Flash and Reverse Flash.

"He has to remember." Helen whispered.

Daisy nodded.

"Before it's too late."

That night, Liam's sleep was plagued by nightmares. It was as if someone was flipping through television channels extremely quickly. There were only brief glimpses of images. As a result he barely got any sleep. When he plopped down at the table for breakfast the next morning, Helen gave him a concerned look.

"You look awful."

"Didn't get much sleep. Kept having nightmares."

This made her look even more concerned.

"Do you remember any of them?"

Liam shrugged.

"Only bits and pieces."

When Daisy joined them she gave Liam the same concerned look.

"I'm fine, really." he assured her.

But deep down he knew he was anything but fine. He still couldn't accept any of what he'd found out the previous day. No matter how hard he tried Liam couldn't wrap his head around any of it. And according to Professor Zahn, something was going to happen soon. Something only Liam could prevent.

 _Professor Zahn._

"I think maybe it's time I talk to Professor Zahn again." Liam announced.

Helen and Daisy shared surprised, yet, happy looks.

"Something tells me he's the key to all this."

Liam followed Helen's directions to a colossal structure on the outskirts of the city. He could've found it himself, though, because it existed in the Central City he knew. The building hadn't changed much in forty-six years except to fit in with the rest of the futuristic-looking ones.

The sign on the side was even still the same:

STAR LABS

Liam approached the main entrance and was just about to press the buzzer when a woman about his age came walking across the plaza in front of the building.

"Hi!" she said cheerily, smiling.

"Hi. I'm Liam..."

"I know who you are. I'm Leah. The Doc has been hoping you'd show up." the woman said, offering her hand.

"I bet he has." Liam chuckled, shaking Leah's hand.

They went inside together and rode an elevator to the top floor. There was something oddly familiar about the interior of Star Labs, though like just about everything else, Liam couldn't put his finger on it. The elevator opened into a magnificent office. It seemed to occupy the entire floor and featured windows that stretched ceiling to floor and offered breathtaking views of the city beyond.

Professor Zahn rose from a massive desk to greet them.

"Ah, Liam. I see you met Doctor Frost."

"Yea. She showed me in."

The professor smiled.

"She's the best we've got." he beamed.

Leah laughed.

"Really laying it on thick, eh Professor?"

"I only speak the truth, you know that."

She grinned. Liam couldn't help but notice how radiant her smile was and how it reached her eyes.

"Well now that I've delivered the Flash, anything else you need?"

"No, not right now thank you."

With a nod to the professor and a smile to Liam, Leah left the room.

"Please, Liam, have a seat."

Liam settled into a ridiculously comfy chair in front of Professor Zahn's desk.

"Professor..." he started.

"Please, call me Doc. That's what you've always called me."

"How exactly do we know each other Doc?"

The professor paused a moment.

"I think I know best how to answer that for you but not quite yet."

He pressed a button on the desk and shades descended over the windows. Except for the one directly behind the desk, which became a screen. An image appeared on it. It was Central City only it looked as different as possible. There were destroyed buildings, craters, and rubble everywhere. It looked as though it had been through a war.

"Is that...?" Liam said.

Professor Zahn nodded.

"Central City. In the year 2064. Just three years from now."

Liam couldn't believe the level of devastation.

"What happened?"

The image on the screen changed. A hulking figure appeared on it. Liam's first thought was it couldn't possibly be human. The figure had gray skin, menacing red eyes and was wearing some sort of battle suit.

"This is Darkseid. The most powerful, and evil, being anywhere. Some seek to conquer. Some to plunder. Some to destroy. Not him. Darkseid's sole desire is to mold reality itself to his will. That Central City I showed you... is his doing."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"He's not human, is he?" Liam asked.

Professor Zahn shook his head.

"He hails from a world known as Apokolips."

The professor switched the image back to the destroyed city.

"Must've needed an army to do that kind of damage."

The professor shook his head.

"You mean...?" Liam asked disbelievingly.

"Yep. Darkseid possesses powers far beyond any other being. The ability to shoot plasma beams not being the least of them."

As he let this latest revelation sink in, something occurred to Liam.

"Wait a sec. If that's Central City three years from now how do you already know about it?"

Professor Zahn smiled mischievously.

"I thought you'd never ask."

The image on the screen changed again.

Liam was confused.

"I don't get it... it's just a phone booth."

"It's ever so much more than that. It's a time machine. Left to me by my father, who invented it."

The image changed to a young man flanked by two small boys.

"That's us. My father, Christopher, me on the right and my twin brother Nikolai."

"Reverse Flash." Liam blurted out.

The professor's expression changed.

"So you've been to the museum. You see my father died young and left the time machine to me. My brother was insanely jealous and we didn't speak for years. He disappeared and when he finally resurfaced... he looked like this."

The image changed to a picture of the Reverse Flash.

Liam's head was yet again swimming with questions. He was more determined than ever to remember.

"So how are the two connected?" he asked.

"I have many theories, each as unlikely as the next. What I do know is when I reached 2064 and saw what had happened, I dedicated myself to finding out what could've possibly led to such a catastrophe. I traced everything back to 2061."

The screen changed again. It was the front page of the Central City Times from November 11, 2061. The headline read:

PRESIDENT BLAKE ASSASSINATED IN CENTRAL CITY

"The president will arrive here in less than a week to dedicate a memorial to the city's veterans. Someone is going to shoot him during the ceremony. That single event sparks a chain reaction that leads to Darkseid's attack."

"How? Is the Vice President evil or something?"

Professor Zahn chuckled darkly.

The image on the screen switched. This time it was a smug looking man in a suit.

"You recognize him?"

Liam nodded.

"Highly successful businessman from Metropolis."

"That's right, Lex Luthor. He was President Blake's running mate in the 2060 election."

"So you think he hired whoever killed the President and then what... joined forces with Darkseid?"

"Something like that but there seems to be a missing link somewhere. As far as anyone knows Darkseid had never visited Earth before 2064. The question is who put him and Luthor in the same room together?"

It was strange, but his conversation with Professor Zahn seemed to stir something deep inside Liam.

"And the Flash is the only one who can stop the assassination." Liam said.

Professor Zahn nodded.

"Whoever the assassin is, he's the best. The only one fast enough to stop him is the Flash. You."

Liam stood up and began pacing the room.

"You still don't remember do you?" the professor asked.

"No. And it's not for lack of trying." Liam answered regretfully.

Professor Zahn turned off the screen and opened the shades.

"Perhaps if you get your mind off of it temporarily it will come to you. Please, allow me to show you around."

Liam and the professor rode the elevator to a lower level. The door was secured with a card reader. Nothing could have prepared him for what lie on the other side. It was a simple room with minimal lighting and in the center... the blue phone booth.

"The blue phone booth because..." Liam started.

Professor Zahn laughed.

"Yes! My father was a rabid fan of a certain fictional time-traveler who had a similar vehicle. Unfortunately, police call boxes are hard to come by."

"So why not stop this mess yourself?"

"As the aforementioned traveler is prone to saying... it's a fixed point in history."

Liam suddenly flashed back to watching his favorite show and telling his dad how he was going to be a time traveler someday too. This image was immediately followed by a red streak zipping through Central City.

 _Could it finally be all coming back to me?_

Liam's thoughts were interrupted by Professor Zahn.

"Shall we go meet up with Leah? It's nearly lunch time."

They met Leah in a massive cafeteria where lunch was already waiting for them.

"Enjoying your visit?" Leah asked, smiling that brilliant smile.

"It's been... informative." Liam replied.

The three of them enjoyed their lunch and good conversation.

"So how long have you been running Star Labs?"

"About six months. You see my uncle and my father started it. After my father died, my uncle just couldn't carry on with their work. And so... Star Labs sat vacant for years. When I was old enough I re-opened it and resumed the project. Shortly after I made the fateful voyage that brought me to the scene you saw from 2064. The rest..."

"I remember you!" Liam exclaimed.

"You do?" the professor asked excitedly.

"Yes! Both of you!" You work at Star Labs in 2015! I was supposed to attend the unveiling of your project. But it got canceled"

Leah and Professor Zahn were both smiling ear to ear.

"What else do you remember Liam?" Leah asked.

Liam's mind had gone back to the red streak dashing through Central City. Then he saw the Reverse Flash. Before the memory could go any farther his mind went blank.

"I keep seeing the Flash running through the city. And just now I saw Reverse Flash."

"Professor, maybe it's time we take Liam downstairs."

The professor's smile faded slightly.

"If you think it would help. Of course, it could have the opposite effect. It could also stir up painful memories."

"That's a risk to be sure. But what other choice do we have?"

"What's downstairs?" Liam asked.

"Everything." Professor Zahn answered.

Liam couldn't believe his eyes when they arrived on the lowest level of Star Labs. He was a science geek and only in his wildest dreams did he ever think he'd get the chance to see what was before him.

"That's a..." he started.

"Large Hadron Collider. World's biggest." Professor Zahn said proudly.

"But CERN's..." Liam said.

Leah chuckled.

"Ours makes theirs look a pea shooter."

The three of them laughed.

"Does it work?" Liam asked excitedly. He felt like a kid at Christmas.

"It hasn't been used in years. In fact, it was only used once. When I realized what had happened, I shut it down."

Liam turned to the professor with a puzzled look.

"Captain Cold. Weather Wizard. Mirror Master. Heat Wave. The Flash. The particles we tested were highly volatile. When they collided, there was an explosion and then..." Professor Zahn began.

"A wave of light went streaming out in all directions from Star Labs. We later found out anyone it came into contact with was transformed into these..." Leah finished.

"Metahumans?" Liam offered.

"You remember?" Leah asked.

"I had just left work. It was late and all I could think about was getting home. And then... I looked toward Star Labs and there was a brilliant burst of light. It reminded me of a shock wave and it swept across the city. Probably beyond the city too. I woke up six weeks later in the hospital with my family and friends gathered around me. A couple days after I left the hospital I saw a little girl riding her bike try to cross the street when a car came speeding along. I knew I had to try and save her and..."

Liam had stopped speaking. He found himself standing on the opposite side of the room.

"You did save her, Liam. Because..." Leah began.

"Because I'm the Flash!"

 ** _To be continued..._**

 **Ahead in Part II:**

With the help of Professor James Zahn and Doctor Leah Frost, Liam Watson has remembered he is in fact the Flash. Using the extensive facilities and resources of Star Labs, Liam begins to once again learn how to use and hone his abilities. But time is running out as the unknown assassin's attempt on the President's life is mere days away with the Flash as the only one who can prevent it.


End file.
